The Heartbeat of Fear
by neon maverick
Summary: A car accident can change your life. A fatal car accident can change everyone’s life. Various pairings.
1. Trailer

_Here's the trailer. Story up soon._

**He loved her…**

'Gabi, I love you, don't leave me.' Troy said, watching the heart monitor next to his girlfriend.

**She loved him…**

'I love you, Troy, don't ever forget that.' Gabriella said, her delicate eyelids drooping and breathing getting shorter.

**They had plans…**

'I'm betting you two will get married one day.' Chad said.

'No doubt about it.' Troy said, looking deeply into Gabriella's eyes.

**One car accident can change everything…**

'The car's going to explode!' Ryan shouted, grabbing onto his sister.

'Gabi, wake up. Please wake up.' Troy said, shaking Gabriella with the willpower he had left.

**Will they survive?**

'She's in a…coma. Chad, she's in a coma!'

**Or will they lose lives?**

'Where is she? Tell me where my sister is!' Ryan said, fury burning in his eyes.

'Your sister, Sharpay Evans, she's in intensive care.'

**Starring Zac Efron…**

_I felt the car turn, over and over. Again and again. It didn't stop until it was upside down on the road. She didn't move. I smelt smoke. I felt…fear. _

**Vanessa Anne Hudgens…**

_He was there. I could feel his presence, I could feel him there. He held my hand. I tried to acknowledge him, but I couldn't. I just couldn't._

**Ashley Tisdale…**

_I'm going to die; I know I am, I just know it. I can hear shouting, lots of it, most of them being my brother's. Then the door opened._

**Lucas Grabeel…**

_Why can't he tell me where my sister is? I want to know! I need to know, for God's sake! My twin could be dying and they aren't doing a damn thing about it!_

**Corbin Bleu…**

_Oh my God, Gabriella's in a coma. She's like a little sister to me. And they won't tell me what's wrong with me! How can everything go from perfect one moment to such crap the next?_

**And Monique Coleman…**

_I can't believe my best friend's in a coma, and my boyfriend has something wrong with him that the doctors can't confirm anything about. I am so upset. _

**The Heartbeat of Fear**

'Don't give up, Gabi. You can pull through.' Troy said, running a hand through his hair.

**Coming soon to a computer near you.**


	2. Chap 1: Car Accident

_Okay, I've never done a HSM fanfiction before, so please forgive me if stuff is wrong!_

_Summary: A car accident can change your life. A fatal car accident can change everyone's life. Various pairings._

_Italics – Troy's POV_

* * *

'Maybe you should turn it down a bit, Chad. It is 1:00 in the morning.' Gabriella said, looking around, scared neighbors would be shouting any moment.

'Okay. One notch.'

'Three!'

'One!'

'Three!'

'One!'

'Three!'

'Guys! Just turn it down _two _notches, okay?' Troy said, laughing.

'Fine.' Chad said, pretending to be moody. He turned the corner and stopped at the red light.

'So…?' he said, trying to make conversation.

He turned round, looking at Ryan, Sharpay, Troy and Gabriella squashed into the backseat. Ryan and Sharpay were bickering as usual and Troy and Gabriella were staring at each other.

'I'm betting you two will get married one day.' Chad said.

'No doubt about it.' Troy said, looking deeply into Gabriella's eyes.

Gabriella smiled. She shifted slightly and then her eyes widened in horror. Chad waved a hand in front of her face.

'Baby doll?' Troy asked. 'What's the matter?'

Gabriella pointed at the road. Sharpay stopped fighting with her brother and followed Gabriella's gaze. 'Oh God.' Everyone looked at the oncoming truck. It came nearer and nearer and Chad grabbed onto the steering wheel and turned sharply trying to dodge it. Instead of the truck hitting the front, it hit the side Gabriella was sitting on.

_I felt the car turn, over and over. Again and again. It didn't stop until it was upside down on the road. She didn't move. I smelt smoke. I felt…fear. _

'Everyone OK?' Chad asked.

'Yeah.' Taylor said, groaning slightly.

'I'm OK.' Ryan said. 'Shar? Sharpay!' Sharpay stayed unmoving.

Troy stirred. He brought his hand up to his head where there was a small but deep gash across the side of his forehead. Then he remembered. 'Gabriella!' Everyone, except Sharpay, looked towards Gabriella. There was a trickle of blood coming from her hairline, a cut below her right eye and she wasn't conscious. Chad grabbed at the door handle, yanking it open. He rolled out because he was upside down he couldn't just climb out, limped round to the other side and let Taylor out. Taylor went round to the front of the car, realising that it was on fire. Sharpay moved slightly and opened her eyes.

'Ryan?' she whispered.

'Shar!' he said. The door opened and Chad held out his hand for Ryan to grab onto. Ryan took the offered hand and rolled out the car, then helped to get Sharpay out the car, but it was hard work. Chad ran round the other side and pulled at the door handle, trying to get it open but failing.

'The car's going to explode!' Ryan shouted, grabbing onto his sister.

'Gabi, wake up. Please wake up.' Troy said, shaking Gabriella with the willpower he had left.

'Troy!' Chad said, banging on the window. 'Try and get out the other side!'

Troy nodded and started to crawl out. When he was out, he reached out to Gabi and took her in his arms. The fire got bigger and everyone started to run. A loud bang filled the ears of the teenagers.

Troy covered Gabriella with his own body so she wouldn't get hurt more than she already was. Ryan looked over at Sharpay. She was lying on her stomach. He got up, with some difficulty, and turned her over. He felt her pulse. A very small one met his fingers. Chad and Taylor got up. They weren't very much because the lorry hadn't hit their side. Taylor ran over to Ryan and Sharpay and Chad ran over to Troy and Gabriella.

'You guys OK?' he asked.

Troy got up and looked down at his girlfriend.

'Gabi?'


	3. Chap 2: Hospital

_Italics are Gabi's thoughts._

* * *

'Gabi?'

Troy knelt down beside Gabriella, placing a hand underneath her head. Her usually warm hair felt ice cold against his fingertips. A hand was placed on his shoulder and Chad's voice was heard soon after.

'Troy?'

Troy whipped round to stare into the concerned face of his best friend. 'Call 911, Chad.' He said calmly, but his voice was rising dramatically. 'Call 911!'

* * *

Ryan was rocking slightly back and forth on his chair, looking at his feet. Chad was sitting, comforting Taylor, stroking her hair. Troy was crouched on his chair, biting his nails. Blood soaked his hair, but that was only because of the gash on the side of his head. Blood also covered his hand, but it didn't belong to him. It was Gabriella's. When he had put his hand under her head, the blood from her head had printed on his hand. A tear traced through the grime on his face. A doctor came out of a small room in the corridor they were sitting in. Closing the door quietly, he walked over to Troy. 

'Err…Mr Bolton?'

'Yeah. Yeah, that's me!' Troy jumped up and ran over to the doctor, ignoring the pain in his left ankle.

'How's Gabi? Is she gonna be alright? Is there any permanent damage?'

'Miss Montez is in a critical condition, Mr Bolton. You can see her, but only one at a time. I will take you to her after you've been checked up.'

* * *

Troy breathed deeply as a long needle was stuck into his arm. 

'Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.'

'Sorry.' The nurse said, smiling guiltily.

'No, it's fine.' After that was done, Troy jumped up. 'So, can I go?'

'Yes. There is no serious internal damage.'

'Thanks!' Troy said, running out of the room.

* * *

_He was there. I could feel his presence, I could feel him there. He held my hand. I tried to acknowledge him, but I couldn't. I just couldn't._

Troy held Gabriella's hand for a good half hour. Eventually, he laid himself behind her on the bed and wrapped her arms around her.

'Gabi, I love you, don't leave me.' Troy said, watching the heart monitor next to his girlfriend.

After that, he simply fell asleep.

* * *

_Aww, isn't he a sweetie-pie? I'm sorry, please review! _


	4. Chapter 3: Questioning

**I know it's been ages. You don't need to tell me.**

'Troy, hey!' Chad rushed up to his best friend, grabbing him and pulling him into a hug.

Chad was older than Troy by 3 months and that gave him the right to be the 'older brother' and to protect him. Even though Troy was the top man at school, only Chad and Gabriella knew how fragile and sensitive he was underneath.

'Hi.' Troy sounded so small that Chad was near crying. He hugged him harder, waiting for a response. Eventually, Troy's arms wrapped loosely around Chad. Then he pulled away, sitting on the edge of a chair. Chad followed.

'How is she?' he asked quietly.

'She's in a…coma. Chad, she's in a coma!'

_Oh my God, Gabriella's in a coma. She's like a little sister to me. And they won't tell me what's wrong with me! How can everything go from perfect one moment to such crap the next?_

**A/N: Before you say anything, I know that it's from Raise Your Voice, so don't nag please.**

Before Chad could say anything, a doctor came out.

'Mr Danforth, it's time for your tests.'

Troy looked at Chad in confusion. 'I thought that you said you weren't hurt.'

'Not in the crash.' Chad said simply.

He followed the doctor out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Troy.

* * *

'Mr Danforth, you know that you were not severely injured in your crash –' The doctor started.

'I know, I know. Will you get to the point?' Chad said, agitated.

'Okay. We thought you had familiar traits to that of someone with leukaemia, but the good news is that you don't cancer.'

Chad was happy about that news, but there was a catch. He knew it. There had to be. 'And the bad news?'

'Do you do sports?' Typical. Just like a doctor to answer a question with a question.

'Basketball, mostly. Bit of running. Baseball. Sometimes playing soccer for a laugh.' Chad had no idea how this related to anything.

'Oh.' The doctor looked deep in thought.

'So?'

'I think you're overworking your body, Mr Danforth. In fact, it's a miracle you survived the crash.' He looked at his clipboards, confused.

'Overworking?' Chad had heard of under-working, but he never thought he did too much. 'Did this mean I'll have to stop playing sport?'

'Temporarily. But the damage may already be done, Mr Danforth.'

**Please Review.**


	5. Chapter 4: Microwaves

_Okay, I'm officially the worst author ever: "Published: 06-09-07 - Updated: 06-21-08". I really didn't know I hadn't updated since then. I was actually going to update on Saturday, but it was my birthday (: So I figured that if after 9 months, another few days wouldn't hurt… :S Oopsies?_

_Italics in this chapter are Ryan's thoughts. _

'Evans, Sharpay?'

Ryan's head shot up. He looked at the doctor who was standing with a clipboard just outside the waiting area. He ran over to him, but before he could say anything, 'Relation?'

'Brother. Twin, actually,' Ryan said eagerly, 'Is she alright? She will be alright, won't she? Where is she; can I see her?'

'Mr Evans, as you know, your sister woke up briefly during the car accident –'

'Yeah, yeah; I know that. Where is she?' The young blond was bubbling over with excitement to see his sister.

'Yes, well, your sister also woke up again soon after she was taken to theatre, and then went under again –' the doctor was obviously hiding something.

_Why can't he tell me where my sister is? I want to know! I need to know, for God's sake! My twin could be dying and they aren't doing a damn thing about it!_

'Where is she? Tell me where my sister is!' Ryan said, fury burning in his eyes.

'Your sister, Sharpay Evans, she's in intensive care.'

Everything stopped. Ryan rocked on his feet slightly for a moment, and then fell into a chair near him. He leant his elbow on the armrest and rubbed his face with his hand roughly. He drew a long deep breath and peered up at the doctor through the top of his eyelashes. 'Intensive care, huh?' he smiled, but it was vacant of any happiness, 'Well my sister always did like to show off big style,' he said, pushing himself up from the chair and facing the doctor, 'I need to see her.'

The doctor nodded solemnly, 'Right this way.'

* * *

'And remember the time that Chad fell out that tree and broke his arm? Yeah, that was the funniest thing _ever_. You remember that, Gabi?' Troy patiently waited for an answer. 'And…when, when…we sang Breaking Free? You were too scared at first but…but I helped you through it. And…' Troy sighed exasperatedly, and threw his head back. 'Why do I even try? You're not gonna answer me anyway.'

He bit his lip and stared at her. 'Tell you what? You know this ring?' He slid his silver ring off his finger and showed his unconscious girlfriend it. 'You know how much it means to me? Yeah, I bet you do,' he smiled tiredly and threw it up in the air and caught it, 'I'm gonna give you this ring, and you take care of it, yeah?' He took it between two fingers and placed it in his girlfriend's hand, curling her fingers around it with his. However, when he took his hand away, her fingers slowly fell open again and resumed to their normal immobile state. 'Okay, maybe not like that…' He took the ring and slid it on her finger, and got up. He kissed her hand, 'There. You take care of it, you hear?' He smiled against the skin of her hand and let it drop onto the bed. Then he slowly made his way towards the door.

* * *

Chad and sport go together like…peanut butter and jelly. Like…a car and a mechanic. Like…a pencil and a sharpener. Like…a failed relationship. In fact, that's probably the best comparison. _Something that should have worked, but didn't. _

And Chad without sport is an unhappy place. Unlike the others, he didn't have a special secret hobby that filled his non-sport time. So without sport, his life was pretty much a black hole, an empty void.

And what was his comfort? Food. Lots of it.

'Dang oven,' yes, he wasn't the best of cooks, 'Dang oven burnt my dang food. Dang…stupid…little non-sporty…activity,' he burnt himself, '_Dang it!_'

'I know, I'll use the microwave,' Chad spoke to himself, putting another meal into the microwave. He pushed the button, 'Yes, who loves Chad? My microwave, that's who. Yes, it is,' Chad stopped, 'I'm going mad. I'm talking to my microwave. I've lost it.'

'This is hopeless!'

**Yeah, I know. It's not very long. But it was sort of a lighter note to end the chapter on. Reviews for the worst author ever?**


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